The Interactive Games and Entertainment Association (IGEA) and the Game Developers Association of Australia (GDAA) today announced their intention to merge and function under the banner of the IGEA.
The GDAA will ask its members to vote for their approval of a full acquisition by the IGEA in the next few weeks, it confirmed.
“This is a vision our respective Boards have shared for some time and we are thrilled to be formalising our working arrangement,” said Edward Fong, Chair of IGEA and the Managing Director of Ubisoft ANZ. “The advocacy, lobbying and stakeholder engagement tasks for both associations are many and varied, and IGEA’s Board and our members believe that together, we will be stronger and deliver greater value to our industry members.”
“The Australian game development industry has moved beyond the rebuild phase that was required post the GFC into a phase of maturity, consolidation and growth. The industry and community are in a good place, recognised and admired internationally, and ready for the next phase of expansion,” added Daniel Visser, Chair of the GDAA Board and the Managing Director of Wicked Witch Software. “It makes sense to formally combine our respective efforts and unite to build a sustainable and vibrant industry operating in the world’s most popular entertainment medium.”
“This is an incredibly exciting time for the members of GDAA, IGEA and the wider video games industry. While our individual skills, programs and strengths will blend seamlessly together, it’s our shared passion for the industry that will cement this partnership,” said Ron Curry, CEO of the IGEA.
“We expect no material changes in the day to day operations of each association, nor work to halt on the broader issues affecting the industry as we enter this transition phase. The existing GDAA and IGEA teams will come together to ensure no major plans or projects are disrupted and, in fact, we expect resources to increase as we deliver key events and programs for the industry. Our teams are hitting the ground running and 2020 is going to be fantastic.”
We’ll let you know when the merger is complete.
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